Adjustable temple piece holder



Nov. 5, 1963 w. H. LA PIERRE 3,109,641

ADJUSTABLE TEMPLE PIECE HOLDER Filed Dec. 16, 1960 INVENTOR WILLIAM /-L LA PIERRE ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,109,641 ADJUSTABLE TEMTLE PIECE HOLDER William H. La Pierre, 35 Hawthorne St.,

- North Attlehoro, Mass. Filed Dec. 16, 1960, Ser. No. 76,166 3 Claims. ((31. 269-454) This invention relates to an adjustable holder for securing work pieces and like equipment in such a manner that decorative processes may be performed thereon. The invention is described as it specifically relates to a holder which can readily accommodate itself to various sizes and shapes of temple pieces.

A principal objective of this invention is to provide a holder which accurately positions various types and styles of work pieces such as trims and temple pieces and at the same time permits rapid removal of the pieces and reinsertion of others.

A further objective of this invention is to provide a holder which is not only adjustable for individual lengths of work pieces but also is so constructed that with very little change, work pieces having a wide variety of peripheral shapes may be secured.

In holders of this type, a temple piece for example is secured and subjected to a variety of design and decorative processes which demand extreme positioning ac curacy. The decorative processes are of the type in which patterns are formed into the work piece by various methods. In some instances, the decoration is cut into the temple piece by the operators th mselves with various permanently installed equipment, such as equipment for subjecting the surface to abrasive powders or to an oxidation process. It is, therefore, another important objective of this invention to provide a holder which secures a succession of work pieces in identical positions as those previously secured so that identical decorations are applied, no matter which process is used.

It is also an objective of this invention to provide a holder which will not mar or otherwise scratch the work piece which it secures.

Further objectives and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description and claims wherein the construction, arrangement, and cooperation of the several parts of the apparatus are set forth.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the holder.

FIG. 2 is a plan view with the cover portion swung back so that the upper surface of the base may be observed;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with a temple piece in the temple-piece recess; and

FIG. 4 is an end view taken from the right of PEG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings where like elements indicate like parts, the numeral indicates the holder or jig of this invention. The holder is comprised of two basic elements, a top cover 12 and a base section 14.

The cover 12 is secured to the base section by way of hinges 16 and 18. Hinges 16 and 1'8 are spring biased by coils 20 and 22. The coil springs are so installed that cover 12 will be biased in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4.

The base 14 is comprised of a metal support 24 having a block 26 cemented or otherwise attached to its upper surface and a resilient top cover or partial chuck 28. The support 24 has a plurality of drflled holes 30 at each corner thereof so that the holder may be secured to a work bench if desired. The block 25 is preferably made of wood or any solid easily formed material. The resilient member 28 is secured to the upper surface of wooden block 26, preferably by glue. As best seen in FIG. 2, the resilient member 23 is formed with a recess 3,108,641 Patented Nov. 5, 1963 34. The recess 34 has a peripheral surface 36 closely resembling that of the temple piece frame member which is to be designed or decorated.

A conventional temple piece T of the type which the instant embodiment is particularly adapted to secure, is of a type having a longitudinally shaped stem 38 sometimes having an unusual peripheral configuration. The length of stem section 38 and the angular disposition of its periphery will vary with the size of the temple piece and the particular ornamental efifect desired by the decorator.

Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the recess 34 is adapted to receive the temple piece T. How-ever, the recess 3% is of shallow depth and, although of sufficient depth to position the temple piece T, the top surface of the piece T extends upwardly beyond the recess. In other words, the recess 34 is of a depth less than the cross sectional depth of the temple piece T.

The recess has, as its primary function, positioning the temple piece accurately with respect to the lateral dimension of the jig. The peripheral outline of the recess 34 satisfies the longitudinal positioning requirements.

The top cover 12 eiiectively clamps the temple piece T in recess 34 while at the same time permitting an operator to decorate the upper surface of the temple piece. The top cover 12 is a substantially rectangular piece of metal defining a large window 42 therethrough. When the top cover is against and parallel to the upper surface of resilient member 28, the window or opening 42 exposes the recess 34 to an operator. When there is a temple piece received by the recess, the upper (outer as observed when the completed eye-glass frame is worn) surface of the temple piece stem is exposed to the operator to administer the decorative processes.

Disposed along the underside of top cover 12 are very important elements of this invention. These elements are the slide plates 50 and 6% The plate 50 is secured to the top cover by way of screw 52, the shank of which is received by a slot 54 and the end of which is journaled in the alignment plate. As can best be seen in FIG. 1, when the screw 52 is loosened, the slide cover 50 can move to the right or to the left as limited by the length of slot 54, exposing more or less of the aperture 42 as the operator may desire. The angularly shaped edge 56 of the alignment plate therefore defines the length and contour of opening 42.

It should be observed that the slide plate 50 cannot only be moved inwardly and outwardly (afiecting the size of aperture 42) but also may pivot about the screw 52 as an axis. In other words, the angular disposition of edge 56 may be varied with respect to the longitudinal side walls 41 and 43 of opening 42.

Also disposed on the underneath side of top cover 12 is a second slide plate '50. This slide plate is adjustable in the same manner as the slide plate 5d; that is by way of a screw 62 residing in slot 64 and journaled in plate 60. Further resilient members 66 and 68 are secured to the lower surfaces of slide plates 5% and 6t) respectively. By the use of such resilient pads, the chances of scratching the temple piece are decreased appreciably.

When it is desired to place a particular design on a series of temple pieces T, the first temple piece is placed in recess 34 and the slide plates 50 and 66 are adjusted so that edges 56 and 67 define the opening or template for the design. The screws '52 and 62 are then tightened, which secures the alignment plates in position. As successive pieces are placed in recess 34, they will have identical positions with respect to base .14, and have identical surfaces exposed to the operator.

A convenient tab extension '58 is for-med integral with the top '12 so that it is easily swung from engagement with the base 14.

In operation, the operator merely lifts the cover 12 by way of tab 58 and places the stern section 38 in recess 34. He makes sure \the piece T fits snugly in recess 34 by urging it to the left as viewed in FIG. 3. He then releases cover ll so it will naturally engage and clamp the temple piece in the recess. After the decorative processes have been performed, the operator may merely lift cover 12, remove the temple piece and place another therein as previously described.

While decorating identical temple pieces, each will be accurately positioned as long as the stem resides snugly in recess 34. This accurate positioning becomes extremely important when the temple piece is decorated by semi-permanently positioned decorating machines.

The resilient member 28 is secured to wooden block 26 by that type adhesive permitting removal or peeling ofi. In order to adapt the holder to temple pieces of varying size therefor, the member 28 must merely be exchanged with one having a recess conforming to the design of subsequent temple pieces.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed What I deem to be practical and emcient embodiments of my invention, it should be Well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A jig for securely holding an elongated flat work piece, comprising in combination a base having an upper surface, a layer of resilient .material secured to said upper surface, said material having a recess to receive said work piece, a list top cover hinged to said base mating with said layer and having an elongated aperture therein substantially Wider than said recess, at least one adjustable'slide plate secured to the loWer surface of said cover partially closing said aperture at one end, said slide plate having an edge surface adjustable lonsurface, a layer of resilient material secured to said upper surface, said material having a recess to receive said Work piece, a spring-urged 'top cover plate mating with said layer and having an aperture therein substantially Wider than said recess, at least one slide-plate secured to the lower surface of said cover partially closing said aperture at one end, said slide plate being adjustably attached to said top cover plate such that the exposed portion of the recesss may be varied, and means for locking said plate in its adjusted position.

3. A jig for securely holding an eye-glass temple piece comprising in combination, a base having an upper surface, a layer of resilient material over said upper surface, a narrow, elongated tapered recess formed in the resilient material and adapted to receive a temple piece, and of a depth causing said temple piece to have a portion thereof extending Without said recess, a top cover hingedly attached to said base and having a longitudinally shaped aperture therein partly exposing said portion, adjustable slide plates secured to the lower surface of said cover partially closing the ends of said aperture, means supporting said slide plates for adjustably varying the length of said aperture, and further means for locking said plates in their adjusted position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ward *Oct. 8, 1901 Zabich Ian. 31, 1961 

1. A JIG FOR SECURELY HOLDING AN ELONGATED FLAT WORK PIECE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A BASE HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE, A LAYER OF RESILIENT MATERIAL SECURED TO SAID UPPER SURFACE, SAID MATERIAL HAVING A RECESS TO RECEIVE SAID WORK PIECE, A FLAT TOP COVER HINGED TO SAID BASE MATING WITH SAID LAYER AND HAVING AN ELONGATED APERTURE THEREIN SUBSTANTIALLY WIDER THAN SAID RECESS, AT LEAST ONE ADJUSTABLE SLIDE PLATE SECURED TO THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID COVER PARTIALLY CLOSING SAID APERTURE AT ONE END, SAID SLIDE PLATE HAVING AN EDGE SURFACE ADJUSTABLE LONGITUDINALLY AND ANGULARLY WHEREBY THE PORTION OF SAID RECESS WHICH IS EXPOSED MAY BE VARIED. 